Developing change strategies

The more complex your change process is, the more important it is to understand and identify factors that may require greater consideration or emphasis throughout the project.

Your change strategy should take into account the:

content of the change: usually more tangible aspects of the change such as strategy, structure, systems, technology, processes, products or services

people aspects of the change: shifts in mindset, behaviour, relationships and culture that are required to make the change successful

process component of the change: a roadmap to get you from your current situation to where you want to be.

These 3 factors work together, and you should integrate them into both high-level strategy and tactical project plans.

All change projects are unique. Therefore, strategies that have worked before may need to be tweaked or even overhauled to suit a different organisation, change type, time or group of people. Many challenges require developing entirely new solutions rather than simply applying something that’s been done before.

You will need the support of many people across the organisation to develop and implement your change strategies. You’ll also need to constantly update your plans to take into account:

progress

unexpected challenges

changes in direction or the environment.

Supporting your people through change

People respond to change in many different ways. Even positive changes can invoke some degree of uncertainty and difficulty. Your role as a leader is to support people through these transitions by:

enabling them to move through as smoothly as possible

providing assistance when things are difficult.

It can be tempting to focus only on the structural and technical components of a change process. Research demonstrates that engaging your people in change greatly increases the likelihood of a smooth and successful change journey. This may include:

helping people to understand the need for, and benefits of, the proposed change

enabling people to see where they fit into the new model

acknowledging what will be lost in the change

inviting feedback on aspects of the change

offering opportunities for input into design of the change where possible

listening to people’s concerns and working with them to identify solutions

ensuring that your people have the knowledge, skills and resources required to operate in the new model

identifying and removing barriers to change

providing opportunities for people to take positive action

celebrating successes and reinforcing progress towards the desired end state.

Considering UQ's industrial obligations

Our Enterprise Agreement identifies specific consultation and implementation processes for particular types of change, particularly those that involve restructuring or major changes to role duties. The requirements will depend on the scale and scope of your change, and will probably include:

formal notice and consultation periods

development of issues papers

input from specific groups, including union representatives.

Staff and union representatives must have the opportunity to influence decisions around proposed major changes, so you need to consider this early in your thinking.

Help with leading change

Organisational Development can help you to:

identify suitable change strategies and adapt them to your work area

develop stakeholder engagement and communications strategies

determine the change-readiness of your work area, and appropriate actions